An audiogram is a graph that shows your hearing levels for various pitches of sound. The frequency (pitch) of the sounds are displayed left to right on the graph while the softest level that each sound was heard is displayed from the top to bottom of the graph in decibels (loudness) – the top of the graph indicating better hearing. Red circles indicate the hearing for the right ear while blue “Xs” indicate the hearing for the left ear.
Hearing loss is typically placed into categories but the amount of hearing loss can vary by pitch. For example, you may have a mild hearing loss for lower pitched sounds and a more severe hearing loss for high frequency sounds.
Categorizing hearing loss by degree is typically reserved for professional reports as it doesn’t describe how the hearing loss is affecting the individual. Hearing loss can affect us differently depending on our age, cognition, educational/occupational needs, lifestyle and many other factors.
